Amazing images of the Orion Nebula

June 24, 2014 12:17 PM

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Few cosmic vistas excite the imagination like the Orion Nebula, an immense stellar nursery some 1,500 light-years away. This stunning false-color view spans about 40 light-years across the region, constructed using infrared data from the Spitzer Space Telescope.

Compared to its visual wavelength appearance, the brightest portion of the nebula is likewise centered on Orion's young, massive, hot stars, known as the Trapezium Cluster. But the infrared image also detects the nebula's many protostars, still in the process of formation, seen here in red hues. In fact, red spots along the dark dusty filament to the left of the bright cluster include the protostar cataloged as HOPS 68, recently found to have crystals of the silicate mineral olivine within its protostellar envelope.

Few cosmic vistas excite the imagination like the Orion Nebula, an immense stellar nursery some 1,500 light-years away. This stunning false-color view spans about 40 light-years across the region, constructed

NASA's Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes teamed up to expose the chaos that baby stars are creating 1,500 light years away in a cosmic cloud called the Orion nebula. This striking composite indicates that four monstrously massive stars, collectively called the "Trapezium," at the center of the cloud may be the main culprits in the Orion constellation, a familiar sight in the fall and winter night sky in the northern hemisphere. Their community can be identified as the yellow smudge near the center of the image.

Swirls of green in Hubble's ultraviolet and visible-light view reveal hydrogen and sulfur gas that have been heated and ionized by intense ultraviolet radiation from the Trapezium's stars. Meanwhile, Spitzer's infrared view exposes carbon-rich molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the cloud. These organic molecules have been illuminated by the Trapezium's stars, and are shown in the composite as wisps of red and orange. On Earth, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are found on burnt toast and in automobile exhaust.

Stellar winds from clusters of newborn stars scattered throughout the cloud etched all of the well-defined ridges and cavities in Orion. The large cavity near the right of the image was most likely carved by winds from the Trapezium's stars. Located 1,500 light-years away from Earth, the Orion nebula is the brightest spot in the sword of the Orion, or the "Hunter" constellation. The cosmic cloud is also our closest massive star-formation factory, and astronomers believe it contains more than 1,000 young stars.

Now for some earlier image of Orion
NASA's Spitzer and... Photo-5729220.77816 - seattlepi.com

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This detailed image of the Orion Nebula is the sharpest ever (in 2012), constructed using data from the Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys and the European Southern Observatory's La Silla 2.2 meter telescope. The mosaic contains a billion pixels at full resolution and reveals about 3,000 stars.

This detailed image of the Orion Nebula is the sharpest ever (in 2012), constructed using data from the Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys and the European Southern Observatory's La Silla 2.2

This mosaic image taken by NASA's WISE, features three nebulae that are part of the giant Orion Molecular Cloud. Included in this view are the Flame nebula, the Horsehead nebula and NGC 2023. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images) less

This mosaic image taken by NASA's WISE, features three nebulae that are part of the giant Orion Molecular Cloud. Included in this view are the Flame nebula, the Horsehead nebula and NGC 2023. (Photo by: ... more

Photo: Universal History Archive, UIG Via Getty Images

This mosaic image taken by NASA's WISE, features three nebulae... Photo-5729224.77816 - seattlepi.com

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The Horsehead, also known as Barnard 33, is a cold, dark cloud of gas and dust, silhouetted against the bright nebula, IC 434. The bright area at the top left edge is a young star still embedded in its nursery of gas and dust. But radiation from this hot star is eroding the stellar nursery. The top of the nebula also is being sculpted by radiation from a massive star located out of Hubble's field of view. Located in the constellation Orion. Hubble Space Telescope (HST). (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images) less

The Horsehead, also known as Barnard 33, is a cold, dark cloud of gas and dust, silhouetted against the bright nebula, IC 434. The bright area at the top left edge is a young star still embedded in its nursery ... more

Photo: Universal History Archive, UIG Via Getty Images

The Horsehead, also known as Barnard 33, is a cold, dark cloud of... Photo-5729225.77816 - seattlepi.com

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The Horsehead, also known as Barnard 33, is a cold, dark cloud of gas and dust, silhouetted against the bright nebula, IC 434. The bright area at the top left edge is a young star still embedded in its nursery of gas and dust. But radiation from this hot star is eroding the stellar nursery. The top of the nebula also is being sculpted by radiation from a massive star located out of Hubble's field of view. Located in the constellation Orion. Hubble Space Telescope (HST). (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images) less

The Horsehead, also known as Barnard 33, is a cold, dark cloud of gas and dust, silhouetted against the bright nebula, IC 434. The bright area at the top left edge is a young star still embedded in its nursery ... more

Photo: Universal History Archive, UIG Via Getty Images

The Horsehead, also known as Barnard 33, is a cold, dark cloud of... Photo-5729226.77816 - seattlepi.com

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The Orion nebula, our closest massive star-making factory, 1,450 light-years from Earth. The nebula is close enough to appear to the naked eye as a fuzzy star in the sword of the popular hunter constellation. Spitzer Space Telescope. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images) less

The Orion nebula, our closest massive star-making factory, 1,450 light-years from Earth. The nebula is close enough to appear to the naked eye as a fuzzy star in the sword of the popular hunter constellation. ... more

The Orion nebula, our closest massive star-making factory, 1,450 light-years from Earth. The nebula is close enough to appear to the naked eye as a fuzzy star in the sword of the popular hunter constellation. Spitzer Space Telescope. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images) less

The Orion nebula, our closest massive star-making factory, 1,450 light-years from Earth. The nebula is close enough to appear to the naked eye as a fuzzy star in the sword of the popular hunter constellation. ... more

The Orion nebula, our closest massive star-making factory, 1,450 light-years from Earth. The nebula is close enough to appear to the naked eye as a fuzzy star in the sword of the popular hunter constellation. Spitzer Space Telescope. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images) less

The Orion nebula, our closest massive star-making factory, 1,450 light-years from Earth. The nebula is close enough to appear to the naked eye as a fuzzy star in the sword of the popular hunter constellation. ... more

This image shows the Orion nebula, a nebula where stars are born.... Photo-5729233.77816 - seattlepi.com

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The Seagull nebula, seen in this infrared mosaic from NASA's WISE. This cosmic cloud is one of many sites of star formation within the Milky Way galaxy. It is located 3,800 light-years away from Earth, inside the Orion spur. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images) less

The Seagull nebula, seen in this infrared mosaic from NASA's WISE. This cosmic cloud is one of many sites of star formation within the Milky Way galaxy. It is located 3,800 light-years away from Earth, inside ... more

Photo: Universal History Archive, UIG Via Getty Images

The Seagull nebula, seen in this infrared mosaic from NASA's... Photo-5729234.77816 - seattlepi.com

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The Seagull nebula, seen in this infrared mosaic from NASA's WISE. This cosmic cloud is one of many sites of star formation within the Milky Way galaxy. It is located 3,800 light-years away from Earth, inside the Orion spur. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images) less

The Seagull nebula, seen in this infrared mosaic from NASA's WISE. This cosmic cloud is one of many sites of star formation within the Milky Way galaxy. It is located 3,800 light-years away from Earth, inside ... more

Photo: Universal History Archive, UIG Via Getty Images

The Seagull nebula, seen in this infrared mosaic from NASA's... Photo-5729235.77816 - seattlepi.com

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The Seagull nebula, seen in this infrared mosaic from NASA's WISE. This cosmic cloud is one of many sites of star formation within the Milky Way galaxy. It is located 3,800 light-years away from Earth, inside the Orion spur. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images) less

The Seagull nebula, seen in this infrared mosaic from NASA's WISE. This cosmic cloud is one of many sites of star formation within the Milky Way galaxy. It is located 3,800 light-years away from Earth, inside ... more

Photo: Universal History Archive, UIG Via Getty Images

The Seagull nebula, seen in this infrared mosaic from NASA's... Photo-5729236.77816 - seattlepi.com

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The Seagull nebula, seen in this infrared mosaic from NASA's WISE. This cosmic cloud is one of many sites of star formation within the Milky Way galaxy. It is located 3,800 light-years away from Earth, inside the Orion spur. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images) less

The Seagull nebula, seen in this infrared mosaic from NASA's WISE. This cosmic cloud is one of many sites of star formation within the Milky Way galaxy. It is located 3,800 light-years away from Earth, inside ... more

Photo: Universal History Archive, UIG Via Getty Images

The Seagull nebula, seen in this infrared mosaic from NASA's... Photo-5729237.77816 - seattlepi.com

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This mosaic image taken by NASA's WISE, features three nebulae that are part of the giant Orion Molecular Cloud. Included in this view are the Flame nebula, the Horsehead nebula and NGC 2023. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images) less

This mosaic image taken by NASA's WISE, features three nebulae that are part of the giant Orion Molecular Cloud. Included in this view are the Flame nebula, the Horsehead nebula and NGC 2023. (Photo by: ... more

Photo: Universal History Archive, UIG Via Getty Images

This mosaic image taken by NASA's WISE, features three nebulae... Photo-5729238.77816 - seattlepi.com

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This new view of the Orion nebula highlights fledgling stars hidden in the gas and clouds. Spitzer. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

This new view of the Orion nebula highlights fledgling stars hidden in the gas and clouds. Spitzer. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)